Personal contact with clients is by far the best way of retaining their business and developing new business.

Law and accounting firms that consistently produce excellent client Seminars reap the rewards of maintaining valuable relationships with their clients, developing new business, and winning new clients.

Only 50% of Seminars Are Effective

In principle, the Client Seminar is one of the finest business development tools law firms have. In practice, the standard of client seminars in most law firms is remarkably low.

Successful client seminars are the exception rather than the rule. From 1994 to late 2016, John Plank, the founder of Commanding Presence spent the majority of his time working with Canadian, US and UK lawyers on their presentations.

What he learned was that most client seminars fail to achieve their potential.

What’s the Problem?

One might conclude that the key to better seminars would be better information and better speakers. Not quite; although those two elements are important, the problem lies in understanding the unique challenges of presenting a seminar. Superb seminars succeed because they offer content that is specifically designed to be heard, and is delivered by speakers who prepare in a unique way.

There are about a dozen very common problems in most seminars; all of which can be rectified.

The Three Most Common Problems

• Too much information

• Incorrectly structured content

• Uncomfortable presenters

Compelling Content

How to translate written information into text, to be delivered to a live audience.

Use the advantages and neutralize the disadvantages of speaking versus writing.

Keep it Simple

The essential difference is that your information must be simplified - do not try to communicate complex information by speaking alone. The most complex issues can be explained in a series of short eloquent statements.

Your Content must be Listener-oriented.

Divide your information into ", "Want to Know”, Need to Know", -- and "Nice to Know".

First, what do your listeners want to know about your topic? It is because of what they want to know that your listeners have come to hear you in the first place. Don't disappoint them; brainstorm all of the questions that you believe your clients will want to have answered. We are all naturally self-interested. So make “Want to Know” the substance of your presentation.

Secondly, “Need to Know”. This is your most valuable service. With what your clients want to know as your primary content, they will be more receptive and able to understand the "Need to Know" information you can now give them.

Lastly, “Nice to know” is the information that, while interesting, is not essential. Beware! The "Nice to Know" information is precisely the information that may strike you, as an expert, as interesting, but has less practical value for your clients. "Nice to Know" can sink your presentation like a stone. Minimize it.

Create a Simple Structure

Prolific writers turn our best-sellers by using a simple formula. You can use the same, simple structure to produce high-quality seminars every time.

Choose a simple structure, preferably no more than three major issues, each of which should have no more than three sub points. In longer presentations, you can give more detail, but make it simple, and make it sound simple.

Make It Personal

Of course it’s subjective! Your personal opinion is precisely what makes it interesting.

Listening is more often an emotional, rather than the intellectual experience of reading. We are interested in your attitude to these issues -- and we learn about this from you, in person, through your unique personality and natural way of speaking.

Prepare your material by speaking

Translate your written material into simple language by talking with a colleague or dictating your thoughts into a recorder. Your own simple, direct language will sound more natural and be more persuasive.

To summarize, Compelling Content will hold your audience throughout your presentation. It makes last minute editing and shortening easy to do.

The simple language and the simple structure is much easier to deliver and it will boost the presenter’s confidence.

Preparing to Speak

Practice - out loud. Practice all of your presentation out loud several times. Keep it simple; do some of it in spare moments in the office, in the car, while working out -- or at home. One of the most useful things to do is to practice while talking on your cell phone. No one will pay the slightest attention to you. Repetition increases your confidence tremendously, and makes you much less reliant on your notes. Even better, you will now be ready to "recycle" your best material for future presentations.

Make it a conversation. The best person to sound like is you. Forget about trying to “sound” authoritative; you’ll sound like a bad actor. When you are well prepared, your natural voice will convey your authority. When you really care, you will look and sound empathetic.

Most importantly, record your presentation on video or on audio tape. It’s the number one method of getting better fast!

One superbly prepared and rehearsed presentation will positively impact your next three or four presentations.

How to Improve Your Seminars Immediately & Continuously

What can a firm do to ensure the continuously improving quality of this important client development activity?

Firstly, set standards. If seminars are important to you, establish a common understanding of what you like in a good presentation.

Secondly, develop your speakers. We tend to divide presenters into two categories; those who can - and those who can't. Sadly, too often we are judged on our worst presentation - and that reputation can stay with us. In meetings, I hear, "Oh, I saw Mary Smith present two years ago -- she was awful!" Unless someone else has seen Mary Smith speaking well, the conversation often ends right there.

Is there consensus in your firm about what makes a good presentation? Marketing Managers and Event Coordinators may or may not be able to assess your seminars.

Create a study group of lawyers, marketing professionals and consultants to identify and set standards and procedures. Discuss the criteria with all your speakers and monitor the program.

Commanding Presence clients are often reluctant to discuss the relative merits of presentations and presenters in particular. It is certainly a delicate topic, but it must be faced with common sense.

Get Help

Effective speaking is a learned skill. By following simple steps anyone can deliver an effective presentation.

A good coach can turn your important information into compelling content. Speaker coaching can rescue a poor performance and make your best speakers sparkle.

Better preparation leads to better presentations - and better presentations just keep getting better and better.

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These are just a few quick tips on developing a Commanding Presence. For more training on developing a Commanding Presence, managing anxiety, and increasing your speaking skills to the same high level as your writing skills then you should attend one of our Commanding Presence Advanced Communication and Presentation Skills Two-Day workshops.

The workshop is designed to improve every aspect of personal communication skills, from strategy and text preparation to establishing rapport and overcoming speaking anxiety.

Participants are recorded 4 times with feedback from the other participants and personal coaching from the workshop coach. Each receive a USB of their video clips along with a letter of analysis from the workshop coach.

Participants will learn how to:

Master Eloquent Speaking

Think on their feet and respond persuasively and eloquently in one-on-one situations, meetings and large audience situationsEffectively use the Focus Method to communicate complex ideas and thoughtsManage their fear of speaking

Become a Charismatic Communicator

Master charismatic communication skills, such as how to "be in the moment"Make sincere eye contactSpeak effectively from notesUtilize effective platform and meetings skillsLearn powerful gestures and movement while communicatingEffectively deliver financial and complex data and powerful PowerPoint

Rediscover the Power of their Natural Voice

Assess and evaluate their voice qualityPerform a wide range of exercises and simple practices to improve the warmth, resonance, and richness of their voiceUtilize exercises to improve their voice on a daily basisImprove their diction with simple techniquesManage their speaking anxiety with relaxation techniques

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